The Internet has benefited the world in many ways but there is one down side, the new mental health diagnosis of “Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD).” IAD was first introduced in 1995 by Ivan Goldberg, M.D. Most people reading this will assume that Internet addiction means being addicted to watching pornography; that is not the case. Internet addiction disorder involves overuse use of a computer, problematic computer use, or pathologic computer use.
The overuse or problematic use include habits such as gaming, social media, watching Internet videos, texting and emailing, or other computer related activities to the point that the computer use interferes with normal life. A study published by Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking (2014) suggests that prevalence of Internet addiction disorder varies considerably among countries and is inversely related to quality of life.
To determine if a loved one has Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), they should be tested by a professional. The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) has been found to be a reliable test in determining if a person suffers from IAD.
If your insurance company denies coverage and you want to appeal the decision, contact HealthCare Advocates.